About Me

Who am I? It all depends on the day of the week . . . and my mood. Some might say I'm too snarky for my own good. Some might say otherwise. Words that describe me: snarky, cynical (at times), loving, compassionate, devoted, obsessive. Main interest: writing. Read - fantasy, light sci-fi, mystery. I take each day as it hits me. Life is about living, not existing.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Hedviga Golik is dead. In fact, she died 35 years ago. The problem: no one realized she was dead until just recently - see this article.

How is it, that a woman's body remained undiscovered for 35 years? How is it that neighbors did not become curious? As a small part of the article stated: The discovery of Golik's body on Tuesday prompted media debates on how it is possible for a woman to die so long ago without anyone noticing. One local journalist said it showed people were becoming more alienated - cnn.com 05/16/08. Is this true? Have we become so alienated as a society that we no longer pay attention to the world around us? Have you seen your neighbor lately? If not, have you bothered to ask someone when was the last time they saw your neighbor? Would you - the reader of this blog - even care enough to ask that question?

I guess I'm just disconcerted about how a woman could die and no one noticed. Do we, as individuals, as parts of a larger society, make such little impact on each other that a death can go unnoticed for 35 years? Well, this article obviously provides the answer to that question. Yes, we obviously make such little impact on each other that a death can go unnoticed for 35 years. The sad fact is, this is not the first such story - though probably the first 3 decade not noticing - about a death going unnoticed. Are we - the United States, the world, the population that is society - becoming too alienated, too content to live in a cyber (online banking, automated gas pumps, amazon.com, groceries online, etc.) world so that human interaction is no longer necessary? Are we - again, larger society - content to have less and less interaction with each other? Can society, as a whole, survive when interaction becomes extinct, people die and no one notices for 35 years?

I do not think society can survive such isolation. I think - as Merita Arslani wrote about the situation - that society needs to do the following: My dear neighbors! Please keep on being curious and a bit tiresome, as you have been so far" - cnn.com 05/16/08.

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but lack of curiosity let Hedviga Golik's death go unnoticed for 35 years. I think curiosity is the better option.

1 comments:

Sad isnt it. Unfortunately its not the first time this has happened..or the last. Ive read about things like this before, maybe not as long as 35 years, but its happened. :( Societies forgotten people...how many more are out there??